Which 1983 song by Nena became a US one-hit wonder with lyrics about 99 red balloons?

Nena’s 1983 song “99 Luftballons” became a US one-hit wonder with lyrics about 99 red balloons.

The song was written by Nena guitarist Carlo Karges and keyboardist Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen after Karges watched balloons drifting across the Berlin Wall during a Rolling Stones concert. Its German lyrics imagine the balloons being mistaken for unidentified objects, triggering military escalation.

An English-language version, “99 Red Balloons,” was released internationally in 1984. It reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the original German version topped charts in several countries. The song is often described as an anti-war protest, although its story is deliberately presented through surreal pop imagery.

A common mix-up is treating “99 Red Balloons” as the original title. That is the English adaptation; “99 Luftballons” is the original German recording and the title most closely associated with Nena’s breakthrough.